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Be prepared against ransomware viruses..

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Shades:
I do not find any information on dealing with ransomware once it is installed. There are no posts (on donation coder or any search engines ) of ransomware being sophisticated enough to lock up keyboard at bios and backup bios level.  Without keyboard I cannot navigate bios and run any repair disks.    I removed battery for two days since there are no longer pins to short and now am getting blank screen.  Motherboard Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3.  Win 7 64.  I am behind NAT router and had stopped running spyware, AWG etc.  Only Windows Defender.  Hate to admit it but because of VERY unusual circumstances I granted remote control w/o realizing it.  Yeh.  Dumb, dumb, dumb! Any ideas?

-terribleterryc (October 06, 2016, 09:58 PM)
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General advice:
- Getting a replacement EPROM chip for the BIOS on your motherboard and replace the current chip with the new one. Preferably the new chip has a patched version of BIOS in it that makes it more resilient.
- Getting a replacement motherboard, if you don't know or can't find out the extend of the compromised hard/software (in case you are handling very 'need to know' software and info on this PC).
- Getting a replacement hard disk, if you don't know or can't find out the extend of the compromised hard/software (in case you are handling very 'need to know' software and info on this PC).
- Preferably use the same make and models of the hardware you replace, to have the least of problems with your Windows license. And install Windows from uncomprimisable boot media such as a read-only DVD.

Specific advice:
The Gigabyte motherboard has a dual bios according to this image, so in principal there should be a spare already available. Older/cheaper boards with 2 BIOSes on board often came with a jumper that prevented writing to at least one of these BIOSes. I didn't see such jumpers (after a quick glance) on your motherboard.

If your computer doesn't beep after you turn it on (does it have a little piezoelectric one?) and you are quite confident your hardware isn't at fault, what you could try, is to "make" your board "squeal". With that I mean to remove all video cards connected, then turn the system on, hear it beep and turn it off again. Reconnect one video card and turn the system on. It should show video again.

By making a mis-configuration on purpose, BIOS and such are resetting themselves, especially in systems that take most of that type of configuration automagically.

It might also be prudent to blow through the video card connector of your motherboard and/or use a piece of paper (what you use to print on), fold it between two fingers and wipe a few times over the part of the video card that slides into the connector of the motherboard. Printer paper (without any ink) is mildly abrasive at best, so you don't have to worry about damaging your video card this way. It will remove whatever smudge that has been collected over time. And there is always more smudge on it than you think or expect. Repeat for every other expansion card you might have.

You also stated that you removed the battery for several days. This can mess up the motherboard configuration. How old is this battery? Less than 4 years or older? When it is older, just replace it. If it isn't, check if the voltage is sufficient for use on your motherboard. Replace when necessary.

terribleterryc:
Thanks for all the tips and info.  I have tried most of them.  I do not think that BIOS chips are replaceable such as they were in past on my Fatality board.  I do not think that my beeper is hooked up.  It is Antec case so probably has one.  I will check.  Mobo fan starts and then stops so I have replacement coming in 2 days.  Will get new battery, clean video card and remove second card, hook up one monitor, keyboard and mouse maybe.  There is the old type keyboard plug in option on this board so I may try that.  Will update in several days after replacement fan comes.  Thanks again.

Curt:
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